With a population of 44 million and buying power over $1 trillion in 2013, African-Americans are a key segment in an American economy that increasingly depends upon the needs and preferences of multicultural consumers. In the face of daunting economic difficulties, African-American consumers are more positive than other Americans about their own personal financial situation and are more optimistic about the future of the American economy. Yet the African-American consumer segment remains woefully undermarketed to, and companies that persist in their failure to capture the attention of black consumers also risk missing out on the tens of millions of dollars African-Americans spend annually on everything from food and beverage products to apparel to mobile technology and video games.

The 9th edition of Packaged Facts' The African-American Consumer Market focuses on how African-American consumers are responding to the challenges of today’s economy as they shop in department stores, supermarkets, supercenters, and other retail outlets as well as online. The report analyzes the forces shaping the purchase decisions of African-American shoppers and sheds light on key areas such as how black consumers decide where to shop and what influences them while they are shopping. Additionally, The African-American Consumer Market highlights the attitudes and behavior of affluent African-American shoppers. The report also forecasts the growth of the buying power of African-Americans through 2017 and provides a detailed demographic profile of the African-American population

Scope

Packaged Facts generally has defined the African-American market as including the buying power of individuals who identify in Census Bureau data as black or African-American, regardless of whether they also identify as Hispanics. This definition, is consistent with the data categories used by forecasting groups such as the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia. The terms “black” and “African-American” are used inter-changeably in this report.

Methodology

This report is based on information collected directly from firms active in the African-American market as well as a thorough analysis of relevant industry and trade publications, including a cultivation of findings published by the Nielsen Company and Selig Center. Primary data on African-American consumer behavior are drawn from the Fall 2012 Experian Marketing Services National Consumer Study (NCS). The report also cites data from several updated estimates and analyses of the African-American population released by the Census Bureau in 2011 and 2013.

Table Of Contents

The African-American Consumer Market, 9th EditionÂ Chapter 1: Executive SummaryScope and MethodologyMarket DefinitionMethodologyAfrican-American Population Reaches 44 MillionBuying Power at $1 Trillion, Projected to Reach $1.3 in 2017Table 1-1: Growth in African-American Buying Power, 2009-2014 and 2017 (in billion $)Strong Optimism About the EconomyTable 1-2: Demographic Patterns for Positive Expectations forAmerican Economy: By Race/Ethnicity and Political Outlookvs. Household Income, 2012 (percent and index)African-American Family StructureTable 1-3: Average Number of People per Household: By Race,201334% of African-Americans Are Married, 44% Never Married55% of African-American Children Live In One-Parent Households, 34% in Households with Married ParentsFigure 1-1: Marital Status of African-Americans Age 18 Years and Over, 2013 (percent)Figure 1-2: African-American Children by Presence and Type of Parent(s), 2013 (percentage)African-American Females More Likely to Live in Households With ChildrenTable 1-4: Demographic Patterns for Having Children in the Household: By Gender, 2012 (index)Table 1-5: Demographic Patterns for Having Children in the Household: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)African-Americans Influenced by Children, AdvertisingTable 1-6: Family Related Psychographics Influencing Shopping Behavior, 2012 (index)Use of Banks and Payment Cards Among African-AmericansAfrican-Americans More Likely to Use Prepaid CardsAffluent African-Americans Prefer Making Payments OnlineFood and Beverage TrendsWalmart a Popular Destination for Grocery Shopping34% of Black Gen Xers Spend at Least $150 Per Week on GroceriesTable 1-7: Weekly Grocery Expenditure By Race, Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 1-8: Weekly Grocery Expenditure: By Race, Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)African-American Consumers Among Most Receptive to New Food and Beverage ProductsCoupon Use and Bargain-Based Shopping Tendencies Among Black ConsumersAfrican-American Millennials and Women Swayed By SalesBlack Boomer and Seniors Put Emphasis on Quality Over SavingsMobile and Internet Shopping Patterns of African-AmericansSocial Networking Shapes African-Americans' Shopping HabitsMarketing to African-American ConsumersAdvertising Helps Black Consumers See a Product's Real-Life ValueMarketers Must Reach Blacks Through Smartphones and the Internet, Not Just Television CommercialsVideo Games Represent Burgeoning Fertile Ground for Product Placement Marketing StrategyUnmarried Minority Moms Are Inroad to Generations of Future ShoppersChapter 2: HighlightsChapter 2: African-Americans and the EconomyBuying Power at $1 Trillion, Projected to Reach $1.3 in 2017Table 2-1: Growth in African-American Buying Power, 2009-2014 and 2017 (in billion $)African-American Consumer Confidence and Economic OutlookAfrican-Americans Face Unemployment CrisisTable 2-2: Employment Status of the Civilian Population: By Race, 2013 (numbers in thousands)African-American Males 29% Less Likely To Be Employed Full-TimeTable 2-3: Demographic Patterns for Full-Time Employment: By Gender, 2012 (index)Table 2-4: Demographic Patterns for Full-Time Employment: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)African-American Boomers Most Likely To Be Temporarily UnemployedTable 2-5: Demographic Patterns for Temporary Unemployment: By Gender, 2012 (index)Table 2-6 Demographic Patterns for Temporary Unemployment: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index):Strong Optimism About the EconomyTable 2-7: Demographic Patterns for Positive Expectations for American Economy: By Race/Ethnicity and Political Outlook vs. Household Income, 2012 (percent and index)African-Americans Link Obama to Their Long-Term Economic ConfidenceBuying Power of Black Consumers Far Too Often UnderestimatedImpending Uptick in Employment to Boost African-American BuyingPowerAfrican-Americans Feel Less Financially Secure, Yet Are OptimisticAbout Future FinancesFigure 2-1: Consumer Responses to the Question, âI Feel Financially Secure,â 2008 and 2012 (index)Table 2-8: Demographic Patterns for Expecting Positive Change in Financial Status Over Coming 12 Months: By Gender, 2012 (index)Table 2-9: Demographic Patterns for Expecting Positive Change in Financial Status Over Coming 12 Months: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)Black Consumers Among Most Likely to Make Medium- and Big-Ticket Purchase in Next 30 DaysTable 2-10: Consumer Responses to the Question, âHow Much Money Do You Expect to Spend on Household Essentials (i.e. Food, Gas, Etc.) in Next 30 Days Compared to Last 30 Days,â 2010 and 2012 (index)Table 2-11: Consumer Responses to the Question, âHow Likely Are You to Purchase a Medium-Ticket Item (i.e., Small Appliance, Electronics, Etc.) Within Next 30 Days,â 2010 and 2012 (index)Table 2-12: Consumer Responses to the Question, âHow Likely Are You to Purchase a Big-Ticket Item (i.e., Major Appliance, Car, Etc.) Within Next 30 Days,â 2010 and 2012 (index)Chapter 3: HighlightsChapter 3: Modern African-American HouseholdsAfrican-American Family StructureTable 3-1: Average Number of People per Household: By Race, 2013One-Person, One-Adult Households More Common Among African-Americans Compared to Other MinoritiesFigure 3-1: Number of People in Household: By Ethnicity, 2012(index)Figure 3-2: Number of Adults Household: By Ethnicity, 2012 (index)Table 3-2: Demographic Patterns for Living Alone: By Gender, 2012(index)22% of African-American Moms Are SingleTable 3-3: Households by Race of Household Reference Person and Detailed Type, 2013 (numbers in thousands, except for percentages)Older Black Consumers in Households Are Pivotal to Ethnic SpendingFigure 3-3: Demographic Patterns for Living in Multi-Adult Households: By Ethnicity, 2012 (index)Nationwide Declining Urgency of MarriageFigure 3-4: Share of U.S. Adults by Marital Status, 2004 vs. 2012-2013 (percent)Figure 3-5: Median Age at First Marriage: By Gender, 1890 to 201234% of African-Americans Are Married, 44% Never MarriedTable 3-4: Marital Status of African-Americans 15 Years and Over: By Age and Sex, 2013 (in thousands)Table 3-5: Marital Status of African-Americans 15 Years and Over: By Age and Sex, 2013 (percentage)Figure 3-6: Marital Status of African-Americans 18 Years and Over, 2013 (percent)Table 3-6: Demographic Patterns for Being Married: By Gender, 2012 (index)Table 3-7: Demographic Patterns for Being Married: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)55% of African-American Children Live In One-Parent Households, 34% in Households with Married ParentsTable 3-8: African-American Children by Presence and Type of Parent(s), 2013 (in thousands and percent)Figure 3-7: African-American Children by Presence and Type of Parent(s), 2013 (percentage)Figure 3-8: Number of Children in Household: By Ethnicity, 2012 (index)Figure 3-9: Consumer Responses to the Question,âIs Anyone in Your Household Expecting a Baby?â: By Ethnicity, 2004, 2008, and 2012 (index)African-American Females More Likely to Live in Households With ChildrenTable 3-9: Demographic Patterns for Having Children in the Household: By Gender, 2012 (index)Table 3-10: Demographic Patterns for Having Children in the Household: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)Family-based Shopping PsychographicsAfrican-Americans Influenced by Children, AdvertisingTable 3-11: Family Related Psychographics Influencing Shopping Behavior, 2012 (index)African-American Financial StatusHousehold Income11% of African-American Households Classify as AffluentTable 3-12: Households by Total Money Income and Race, 2002-2012 (percent)Median Income of African-Americans Almost $20K Less Than National AverageTable 3-13: Households by Total Money Income and Race, 2002-2012 (median and mean income)Table 3-14: Household Income: By Race, 2008, 2010, and 2012(percent and index)Use of Banks and Payment Cards Among African-AmericansAfrican-Americans More Likely to Use Prepaid CardsTable 3-15: Banking and Payment Card Related Psychographics Among African-Americans: By Household Income, 2012 (index)Table 3-16: Banking and Payment Card Related Psychographics Among African-Americans: By Household Income, 2012 (percent)Figure 3-10: Banking and Investment Tendencies Based on Answers to the Question, âDo You Currently Haveâ¦?â: African-Americans by Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)Figure 3-11: Ownership and Usage of Payment Cards: African-Americans by Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)30% of African-Americans Have Purchased a Gift Card in Past 12 MonthsTable 3-17: Purchase of Gift Cards in Past 12 Months: By Race, 2012 (index)Table 3-18: Purchase of Gift Cards in Past 12 Months: By Race, 2012 (percent)Bill Paying Methods Used by African-American ConsumersAffluent African-Americans Prefer Making Payments OnlineTable 3-19: Preferred Method of Paying Bills Among African-Americans: By Household Income, 2012 (index)Table 3-20: Preferred Method of Paying Bills Among African- Americans: By Household Income, 2012 (percent)Table 3-21: Methods for Paying Bills Among African-Americans: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)Table 3-22: Who Pays Your Bills, African-Americans: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)How African-American Consumers View Money and FinanceTable 3-23: Money and Finance Related Psychographic Among African-Americans: By Household Income, 2012 (index)Table 3-24: Money and Finance Related Psychographic Among African-Americans, By Household Income, 2012 (percent)Chapter 4: HighlightsChapter 4: Overview of African-American ShoppersHow Generational and Gender Differences Affect Consumer Habits Among African-AmericansMarketers Must Cope With Rise of Millennial Consumers Who Are Less Loyal to Brands and StoresBlack Women, Millennials Seek Out Natural and Organic ProductsMillennials are Social ShoppersTable 4-1: Psychographics Related to Shopping Tendencies: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-2: Psychographics Related to Shopping Tendencies: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)Food and Beverage TrendsWalmart a Popular Destination for Grocery ShoppingTable 4-3: Where African-Americans Grocery Shop: By Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-4: Where African-Americans Grocery Shop: By Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)34% of Black Gen Xers Spend at Least $150 Per Week on GroceriesTable 4-5: Weekly Grocery Expenditure: By Race, GenerationalCohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-6: Weekly Grocery Expenditure: By Race, Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)African-American Consumers Among Most Receptive to New Food and Beverage ProductsGen Xers and Millennials Are Adventurous, Artsy EatersFrozen, Store-Made, and Fast Foods Favored by Black MillennialsTable 4-7: Psychographics Related to Food Shopping: African- Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-8: Psychographics Related to Food Shopping: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)26% of African-Americans Buy Organic Foods, 39% Purchase Low Fat/Fat FreeTable 4-9: Psychographics Related to Organic Food Product Purchasing: By Race, 2012 (index)Table 4-10: Psychographics Related to Organic Food Products Purchasing: By Race, 2012 (percent)Table 4-11: Psychographics Related to Low Fat/Fat Free Food Product Purchasing: By Race, 2012 (index)Table 4-12: Psychographics Related to Low Fat/Fat Free Food Product Purchasing: By Race, 2012 (percent)Coupon Use and Bargain-Based Shopping Tendencies AmongAfrican-American ConsumersAfrican-American Millennials and Women Swayed by SalesBlack Boomer and Seniors Put Emphasis on Quality Over SavingsTable 4-13: Psychographics Related to Bargain-Based and Coupon Shopping: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-14: Psychographics Related to Bargain-Based and Coupon Shopping: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)Shopping for ApparelWilling to Spend Top Dollar for Better Quality ClothesNovelty, New Experiences and New Styles Favored by African-AmericansAfrican-Americans Are Less Brand Loyal, But Value Designer LabelsTable 4-15: Psychographics Related to Shopping for Apparel:African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-16: Psychographics Related to Shopping for Apparel:African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)African-American Male as Retail Trendsetter and the Appeal of Black Celebrities as SpokespersonsFigure 4-1: Types of Apparel Purchased in Last 12 Months: By Race and Gender, 2012 (index)Figure 4-2: Types of Apparel Purchased in Last 12 Months: By Generational Cohort, 2012 (index)Purchase of Eco-Friendly and Recycled ProductsAfrican-American Boomers Most Receptive to Buying Eco-Friendly and Recycled ProductsTable 4-17: Psychographics Related to Environment and Recycling: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-18: Psychographics Related to Environment and Recycling: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)Mobile and Internet Shopping Patterns of African-AmericansAfrican-Americansâand HispanicsâAmong Consumer Segments Embracing Mobile Shopping Technology Faster Than Other GroupsBlacks Likely To Purchase Products Advertised on Cell PhonesTable 4-19: Psychographics Related to Shopping and Receptiveness to Marketing on Cellphone: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-20: Psychographics Related to Shopping and Receptiveness to Marketing on Cellphone: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)Social Networking Shapes African-Americans' Shopping HabitsTable 4-21: Psychographics Related to Use of Internet When Shopping: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 4-22: Psychographics Related to Use of Internet When Shopping: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)Despite Reliance on Social Media, African-Americans Less Likely To Actively Engage in E-CommerceTable 4-23: Internet Purchases in Past 12 Months: By Race, 2012 (index)Table 4-24: Internet Purchases in Past 12 Months: By Race, 2012 (percent)Table 4-25: Amount Spent on Internet Purchases and Method Used in Past 12 Months: By Race, 2012 (index)Table 4-26: Amount Spent on Internet Purchases and Method Used in Past 12 Months: By Race, 2012 (percent)Chapter 5: HighlightsChapter 5: Marketing to African-American ConsumersAdvertising Helps Black Consumers See a Product's Real-Life ValueTable 5-1: Psychographics Related to Receptiveness and Recognition of Advertising: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 5-2: Psychographics Related to Receptiveness and Recognition of Advertising: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)34% of Gen X African American Parents Rely on Advertising When Choosing Products for Their ChildrenTable 5-3: Psychographics Related to Receptiveness of Advertising Among Consumers Living With Children, by Race, Generational Cohort and Gender (percent and index)Marketers Must Reach Blacks Through Smartphones and the Internet, Not Just Television CommercialsMarketing to African-Americans Through Movies Is Highly EffectiveBlack Boomers and Seniors Seek Out Familiar Brand Names on PackagesTable 5-3: Psychographics Related to Brand Recognition and Purchase Tendencies: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 5-4: Psychographics Related to Brand Recognition andPurchase Tendencies: African-Americans by Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)Video Games Represent Burgeoning Fertile Ground For Product Placement Marketing StrategyTable 5-5: Psychographics Related to Receptiveness to Product Placement in Video Games: By Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 5-6: Psychographics Related to Receptiveness to Product Placement in Video Games: By Generational Cohort and Gender, 2012 (percent)Unmarried Minority Moms Are Inroad to Generations of Future ShoppersFigure 5-1: Marital Status: By Race and Gender, 2012 (index)Table 5-7: Select Psychographics Related to Shopping Among African-American Women: By Marital Status, 2012 (index)

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